Seal.



'M H. VAN Ha BATTEMERG.

APPLI-UATIOE FILED OUT. 10, 19Q8.

Patented June 15, 190%.

- band. Fig. dis a detail plan view v the tongues 12 MELVIN VAN H. BATlElTBER-G, OF CHICAGO, ELLEN 018.

east.

Specification of Letters l Patented June 15, 1909.;

Application filed flctober 10, 1908. Serial 1:10. 457,992.

I '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, MELviN ll, Van Hons: BATTENBERG, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seals, of which the following is aspecilication.

This invention relates to improvements in seals and more particularly car seals and the primary object of the invention is to pro vide an improved simple, durable and ellicient locking device of this character which,

when locked, cannot be opened or unlocked without leaving evidence of the fact that'it has been tam ered with.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects, as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawing illustrating an embodiinent of the invention, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective of an improved device of this character constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one end of the partly in section showing the manner in which the oxtremities of the band are secured together. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the other extremity of the hand.

' Referring more particularly to the drawing and in the present exemplification of the invention, the numeral 10 designates a strip or band of thin steel material which is provided at one end with an aperture 11 located in close proxirr the extremity of the strip. The 0th; o, of the strip 10 adjacent its extremity cut away to m tongues 12 which are deflect-ed beyond plane of the body portion of the strip and extend in a direction toward the adjacent extremity of the strip, A portion of the strip beyond the tree extremities of is preferably reduced slightly as at 13 and the extremity of the strip he- 0nd the free extremity'ot the tongues 12 is cut back upon shaped portion, the bill of which is split longitudinally as at 14 to form spring tongues v i l5, 16, which or other suitable flexible itself so as to form a hook stand in close proximity to the free extremities of the ton ues 12 when the latter are in normal positions, and extend for a slwrt distance beyond the free-ex tremities of the ingues 1.2 toward the opposito end of the 'p so that the tonguesiZ, 15 and 1toooperate witheach other, one set serving as guard for the otherto forrn lock ing tongues or beards. The tongues .15, 16 are cut away or notched as at 17 at points adjacent the of the tonguestor pur pose to he set forth. The tongues 15 and 16 are normally spaced laterally from each other for a short distance but when the tongues 15 and 16' are pressed toward each other so that the adjacent edges will contact, the combined width of the tongues 15 and 16 will be slightly less than the width of the aperture 11.

In use the tongues 15 and 16 are adapted to be passed through the aperture 11 and when these tongues are being inserted into the aperture 11 the adjacent xtreniity of-the body portion 10 will deflect the tongues 12 to permit the extreinity of the body portion to pass into the hook formed by thetongues 1.5 and 16. l'llhen the extremity of the body has passed out of engagement with the tongues 12, the latter will spring against the tongues 15, 16, and cooperate with the latter to prevent the extremity of the body portion containing the aperture from being disengaged from the hooked extremity. As the aperture 11 is passing over the tongues 15 and 16 the latter will be pressed together, but when opposite walls of the aperture 11 stand adjacent the notches or recesses 17, the clasticity of the tongues 15, 16 will cause the latter to separate and the notches 17 will engage over the walls of the aperture 11, as shown more clearly in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

A sheath or thirnhle 1805 any desired con struction but preferably of a seamless con struction, is providedwith a slot 19 in its closed end, which slot is preterahlyjof a width slightly larger than the width of the extremity of the body portion orshaclrle 10.

This sheath surrounds the hook-shaped ex' trernity oftlie shackle with the end containing the slot 1% adjacent and projecting. be

yond thehookedextrennty oi the shack e;

lhe sheath maybe secured to the shackle in any desired or suitahleruairaer; preferably by pressing the sidesthereof ntosu table notches 19, in the edges; (at-"the shackle or strip and desired. a further in the end thereof.

a rivet or eyelet may be driven through the sheath and the shackle and the sheath b serted in the slot'19 in the sheath or thimble,

it will engage and deflect the tongues 15 and .andb

, may wit strip the sheath. If desired, an aperture 22 may 1 6.until the-aperture 11 passes by the extremities of the tongues 15 and 16, at which time the latterwillspring into the aperture y drawing the inserted end ofthe shackle in a direction to withdraw the end from the sheath or thimble, the end will ride upon the opposite faces of the tongues 15 and 16 to deflect the tongues 12 and when the ex tremit yv of the shackle has passed these tongues 12, they will assume their normal position in engagement or in to the faces of the tongues 15, 16.

With this improved construction, it will be apparent that in order to unlock the seal it I be necessary to cut the strip or shackle 10 and as a further security to prevent mani ulation of the lockand to cause the shac eto become mutilated or broken the apertured extremity of the shackle may be provided with notches or recesses 21$. in the edges'thereof, which notches or recesses may be located in such a osition as to stand in close proxthe 'extremit of the sheath or thimble 18. when the s ackle is locked to weaken the adjacent portion of the shackle so that a continued manipulation of the shackleto unlock the same will cause the or shackle to break at 'a point adjacent be provided in the shackle between the recesses'21 to further weaken the shackle at this point.

If desired, a suitable indicator 23 may be provided, which may be in the form of marks upon the face of the shackle to indicate at a glance whether the shackle has been shortened, which would be .necessar if it should be desired'to re-lock the shac e after it has been once broken or ,cut. This indicator 23 is preferably located at a point to cooperate with the extreinit of the sheath or thimble 18 so that the indicator will be normally exposed after the shackle has been locked properly. If the shackle has beenvcut, and an additional aperture made in the extremity thereof to re-lockthe seal, it will be apparent that the indicator 23 be located within the sheath or thimble, and would show at a glance that the seal has been tampered with.

In order that the invention might be fully understood, the details of the foregoing emthrough the slot 19 I I tremity form a hook, the bill of the hoo close proximity the hook together, a portion 0 bodiment thereof have What Iclaim as new is:

1. A seal comprising 'a. shackle, one ex= of which is bent back u on itself to being split longitudinally to form elastioand laterally yielding tongues, yielding means cooperating with the said bill'to form 'a closure for the been thus described,-

g hook, the other extremity of the shackle being provided with an aperture of a width less than the normal width of the said bill of the hook and adapted to ibe engaged over the hook to force the tongues forming the hook together, means for permitting the tongues to.

separate when the apertured extremity of the shackle passes the closure for the hook, and a casing inclosing the said hooked extremity and into which the apertured extremity is adapted to be inserted.

2. A seal comprising a shackle, one extremity of which is bent back upon itself to form a hook, the bill of the hook being split longitudinally to form elastic and laterally yielding tongues, the other extremity of the shackle being provided with an aperture of a width less than the normal width of th: said bill of the hook and ada ted to be eng aged over the hook to force t e ton ues for cling the shackle being cutout to form a pair of elastic tongues one for each of the tongues of the hook, said tongues being opposed to the first said ton ues to form yielding closures for the hoo the apertured extremity of the shackle being ada ted to be engaged over the hook to force t e tongues of t e hook together, means for permitting the tongues to separate lateraily when the apertured end enters the hook, and a casing inclosing the engaged ends of the shackle. v

3. A seal comprising a shackle, one extremity of which is bent back upon itself to form a hook, the bill of the hook being split longitudinally to form elastic and laterally yielding tongues, yielding means cooperating with the said bill to form a closure for the hook, the other extremity of the shackle being provided with an aperture of a width less than the normalywidth of the said bill of the hook and adapted to be engaged over the hook to force the tongues forming the hook together, the outer edges of said tongues being notched at points beyond the said closure for the hook, said notches being adapted to engage over the edges of the a erture when the respective end 0 the shac e passes the said closure to permit the tongue to separate,

and a casing inclosin the said hooked extremity and into whic the apertured end is adapted to be inserted.

4. A sealcomprising a shackle,interengag I ing means on the extremities of the shackle for locking said extremities together, a seamless sheet metal casing inclosing the locked a extremities; said casing normally surrounding one extremity of the shackle and being contracted upon the shackle, and a fastening device passing through the contracted portion of the casing and the shackle for securmg the casing to the shackle, said casing projecting beyond the extremity of the shackle and being provided with a restricted opening in the projecting portion into which opening the other extremitypf the shackle is adapted to be inserted.

5. A seal comprising a shackle, interenga ing means on the extremities of the shackle for locking said extremities together, a seamless sheet metal casing inclosing the locked extremities of the shackle, one end of the l c esingiheing contracted around one extremity of the shackle to normally inclose said end, and. me ensfor securingthe said end to the shackle to prevent displacement! of the two subscribing witnesses, on this 7th dey of October A. D. 1908.

MELVIN a. mi: H. BATTENBERG.

. signed yr name to this specification, in the presence of 25; 

